Vol. 563 No. 6
5 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the specific commitments on social inclusion in the new social partnership deal, Sustaining Progress; if her attention has been drawn to the significant disappointment expressed by the community and voluntary pillar in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8534/03]
The new social partnership agreement – Sustaining Progress – devotes a full chapter to its objective of delivering a fair and inclusive society.
As regards poverty and social inclusion, Sustaining Progress emphasises the need to focus on the achievement of the range of targets set out in the revised National Anti-Poverty Strategy in light of changed circumstances, and to ensure real and significant progress in relation to implementation.
In that context the programme explicitly reaffirms the Government's commitment to the achievement of the income adequacy targets set out in the revised NAPS relating to the lowest social welfare rates and to the completion by 2005 of the programme of multi-annual increases in child benefit.
It also sets out a range of key initiatives which will be undertaken to monitor and support the delivery of the programmes and actions designed to provide for an inclusive society. These focus largely on the provision of better data and information, effective proofing and evidence-based policy making, and the development of tools for monitoring and evaluation.
Moreover, Sustaining Progress specifically identifies ten key policy areas where special initiatives will be developed in conjunction with the social partners. Nearly all of these policy areas are closely related to issues of social inclusion, and include housing and accommodation, migration and interculturalism, long-term unemployment and vulnerable workers, tackling educational disadvantage, issues of caring, and ending child poverty.
The programme, as its name indicates, is about sustaining the considerable progress we have made in recent years towards creating a free and inclusive society. Social development must be economically sustainable, if continued progress is to be maintained in these current uncertain times, in which an open economy such as Ireland is particularly vulnerable. Sustaining Progress achieves this objective and ensures that even in difficulties steady progress towards a fair and inclusive society can be made.
